Multi-purpose funnel



April 12, 1966 G. K. HOLZ MULTI-PURPOSE FUNNEL Filed March 14, 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,245,437 MULII-PURPOSE FUNNEL Gordon K. Holz, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Carl M. Diez, Tomahawk, Wis.

Filed Mar. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 265,114 2 Claims. (Cl. 141-331) This invention relates to funnels and, more particularly, to a multi-purpose funnel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose funnel which can be selectively used for pouring contents into bottles and jars of different sizes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a completely self contained adjustable funnel mechanism having depending ducts of different diameters for insertion into containers having different size inlets, in which the duct piece can be selectively rotated to any one of such ducts for pouring contents into such receptacles.

Aside from the foregoing specific objects, another important object of this invention is to provide an improved three-in-one funnel which will achieve the foregoing results in a new and novel manner so as to represent a general advance in this field.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an adjustable funnel mechanism made in accordance with the present invention in actual use;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 1, with the upper duct piece being shown in phantom lines; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 in an adjusted position.

Referring now to the drawing, a three-in-one funnel 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main mounting plate 12 of generally circular configuration having a plurality of peripheral cutouts 13 and a centrally mounted pivot pin 14.

A pivot pin 14 rotatably supports a bracket 16 that extends radially inwardly from an inverted truncated conical duct piece 18 having a lower extremity slidably engagable with the upper surface of the main mounting plate 12.

The mounting plate 12 also includes three equally circumferentially spaced apart and depending ducts 22, 26, 28, of different internal diameters. The two smaller ducts 22, 26 include flared juncture portions 20, 24 having upper extremities of the same diameter as the internal diameter 30 of the largest duct 28, which diameter is substantially identical to the diameter of the lower end of the inverted conical duct piece 18. Thus, as the duct piece 18 is rotated about its supporting hinge pin 14, the lower end thereof will sequentially come into registry with each of the depending ducts of the main plate 12, conforming exactly to the size and shape thereof to allow for the flow of liquids therethrough in a simple and convenient manner.

It will thus be recognized that in actual use, one of the three depending ducts 22, 26, 28 is selected for use with the particular receptacle 40, depending upon the size of the inlet thereto. The duct piece 18 is then rotated to registry with the selected duct for pouring contents into the receptacle in a simple and convenient manner.

It will now be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A multi-purpose funnel comprising:

a mounting plate having an upper and lower surface;

a plurality of outlet ducts integrally formed to the lower surface of said plate and extending downward therefrom, each of said outlet ducts having a passageway extending therethrough and opening to said upper surface of said plate, said ducts having dis-similar outer diameters for inserting the same into various sized receptacles;

a hollow truncated cone to serve as the inlet portion of said funnel; and

pivot means pivotally associating said truncated cone with the upper surface of said plate for selectively moving said cone in communication with one of said outlet ducts.

2. A multi-purpose funnel comprising:

a mounting plate having an upper and lower surface;

a plurality of outlet ducts integrally formed to the lower surface of said plate and extending downward therefrom, each of said ducts having a passageway therethrough and an opening to said upper surface, each of ducts having dis-similar outer diameters for inserting within various sized receptacles, the diameters of each of said passageways of said ducts varying one from the other to provide various rates of flow through said funnel, said ducts being sufficiently spaced apart to provide for the placement of receptacles simultaneously around each;

a hollow truncated cone to serve as the inlet portion of said funnel;

a bracket rigidly attached to the outer surface of said truncated cone and extending outwardly therefrom; and

a pivot pin pivotally connecting said bracket to said plate for providing selective movement of said truncated cone over any one of the openings of said outlet ducts to said outer surface for passing liquid and the like therethrough.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 60 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

E. EARLS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-PURPOSE FUNNEL COMPRISING: A MOUNTING PLATE HAVING AN UPPER AND LOWER SURFACE; A PLURALITY OF OUTLET DUCTS INTEGRALLY FORMED TO THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARD THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID OUTLET DUCTS HAVING A PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND OPENING TO SAID UPPER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE, SAID DUCTS HAVING DIS-SIMILAR OUTER DIAMETERS FOR INSERTING THE SAME INTO VARIOUS SIZED RECEPTACLES; 